In the art of manufacturing electrical cable and similar, elongated, somewhat continuous tubular goods it is desirable and often necessary to apply certain indicia on the exterior of the cable body or armor covering, such indicia providing information regarding the specifications of the cable, such as wire size and voltage rating, as well as, possibly, other information which may be useful to users of the cable. For example, in the manufacture of armored electrical cable, it is desirable to place information on the exterior of the armor sheath or covering and spaced apart at relatively close intervals (two to three feet) indicating the wire size or gauge and the specific voltage to which the cable may be applied. However, due to the irregular exterior surface of armored electrical cable, in particular, printed information cannot be applied directly to the surface. Accordingly, spaced apart pre printed labels are typically necessary.
Moreover, in processes of manufacturing armored electrical cable, as well as other elongated, somewhat continuous tubular goods, such as hose and electrical cables with somewhat flexible tubular outer coverings, the continuous manufacturing processes used in making such goods do not lend themselves to easy application of labels during such manufacturing, process. It must be assured, of course, that labels giving important information thereon be placed on elongated tubular goods, such as armored electrical cable, wherein the information is clearly viewable and readable and is placed on the exterior surface of the goods in such a way that it will not be easily removed or destroyed.
Accordingly, there has been a need to provide a method for applying indicia to the exterior surface of electrical cable, particularly so-called armored electrical cable, as well as other elongated somewhat continuous tubular goods, wherein the indicia is supplied in the form of a label which is wrapped around the generally cylindrical exterior surface of the goods and is suitably adhered to the goods to prevent removal therefrom. The above-noted requirements have been particularly needed in the art of manufacture of metal clad armored electrical cable and it is to these ends that the present invention has been developed.